"The conditions we discussed before are canceled."
Agatha tapped the ground lightly with her cane again.
"I want you to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference. The reward will be Ghost-type training methods. How about it?"
The Indigo Plateau Conference again…
Shiro thought about his Galar Champion title, which only lasted three years anyway. Naturally, he planned to participate, but there was one issue.
"I'm already the Galar Champion. Can I still take part in another League Conference?"
"What's stopping you?" Agatha let out a faint chuckle. "There's no law in the League that forbids it, and there's also no rule saying one person can't be an Elite Four member or Champion in two regions. What are you worried about? That Galar will disagree?"
"That's not it…"
Shiro suddenly felt his thinking had been too rigid.
If Lance could be both a Kanto Elite Four member and Johto Champion at the same time, then why couldn't he be the Galar Champion and a Kanto Elite Four member? Maybe he could even reach Champion level here too. That would sound even more impressive.
Of course, becoming the Kanto Champion was just a thought. Shiro had no intention of getting directly involved in Kanto's power struggles yet.
"Well? Have you decided?" Agatha asked once more.
"About that…" Shiro dragged out his words, wondering if he could squeeze a bit more out of the old woman, maybe some rare Ghost-type resources.
At that moment, a red flash appeared at his waist, and Haunter popped out of its Poké Ball before sliding quickly toward Agatha.
"Haun! Haunteer!" (Master, please accept me as your disciple!)
It grinned shamelessly, looking like a traitor switching sides without hesitation.
The conditions Shiro was about to negotiate died instantly.
"Heh, looks like Haunter quite likes this old woman…" Agatha said.
At some point, she was already holding a black square stone in her hand.
Haunter wrapped itself around it, drool almost dripping down.
With a flick of her hand, Agatha tossed the stone forward, and it darted after it, biting onto it while looking even happier than when eating perfect-quality Pokéblocks.
"… "
Shiro was speechless.
He, the trainer, was still standing right here, yet that thing was so tempting? Haunter had no shame at all.
Then again, it never really had any to begin with.
'You traitor!'
Under Shiro's gaze, Haunter slowly floated back.
But just then, a Gengar's head emerged from the shadow beneath Agatha's feet. It quickly came out fully and dragged Haunter away to play.
He sighed and nodded. "Alright."
"Then Haunter will stay with me for a few days." Agatha tossed over a small booklet. "I'll come find you again before you leave."
Shiro caught it. The handwriting on the cover was flowing and elegant, with two words written on it: Ghost-type Notes.
By the time looked up again, the old woman had already disappeared.
* * *
Shiro returned to the waiting room and, as soon as he sat down, opened the booklet and began reading it eagerly.
He had no idea how much time passed. When he finally looked up, Rowan was already standing and adjusting his collar.
"The conference is about to begin. All participants, please proceed to the venue."
A broadcast announcement sounded, and more than a dozen researchers from the Oak Research Institute had appeared in the hallway outside.
Shiro and Rowan led the group of researchers forward, with the three children following behind.
They walked through the corridor and entered the venue through a side door. The researchers standing by the door glanced at the children but said nothing, simply smiling as they welcomed them inside.
The hall was huge. Even after accommodating all the professors and researchers, there were still plenty of empty seats left. Once everyone had taken their seats, the platform at the front dimmed after a short while.
Oak's voice slowly rang out.
"Welcome to Kanto, to Pallet Town, and to the Oak Research Institute. This year's Academic Summit…"
An image lit up behind the stage, and various Pokémon from Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh flashed across the screen.
Oak's opening speech ended quickly, and he returned to his seat in the front row.
A male and female host walked onto the stage. After a brief introduction, they began listing the major research achievements from the past three years.
"Professor Oak, the Mysteries of Types and Pokémon Classification… Professor Sycamore, Fossil Pokémon Restoration and Subsequent Growth… Researcher Shiro and Professor Rowan, Evolutionary Magnetic Field theory and related device applications… Researcher Shiro and Professor Elm, Egg Group theory and Pokémon breeding methods… Researcher Shiro, Friendship theory…"
There were only about a dozen notable achievements in total, yet Shiro alone accounted for three of them.
Everyone present already knew that the online identity "Corviknight" was him. Thanks to the intense promotion from Galar's official channels, they were also aware that he was the Galar Champion. However, his academic contributions were significant, so even if some people had opinions about his Champion status, they deliberately avoided bringing it up.
"Now, we invite Professor Oak to present his report…"
After the hosts finished speaking, Oak stood up again and walked onto the stage with a bright smile.
As the screen behind him lit up, he began explaining his research calmly with his hands behind his back.
Moments later, the hall erupted in applause.
Rowan leaned closer and whispered, "As expected of Professor Oak. He probably didn't even prepare a script. He just went up and spoke."
The closer it got to his own turn, the more uneasy he felt. It had been nearly twenty years since he last stood on stage for a report.
Noticing his anxiety, Shiro smiled and said, "It's just a report. Professor Rowan, the results are what matter. A report is like a speech. Prepare an outline in advance, and even Lucas and Dawn could speak without a script."
"Huh?"
Hearing their names, the two children turned their heads.
Rowan shook his head with a faint smile. "You're right…"
His gaze fell on the three children, and the tension in his heart eased.
Not long after, the two hosts on stage called out, "We invite Researcher Shiro and Professor Rowan to present their academic report on Evolutionary Magnetic Field!"
As soon as the announcement ended, Shiro stood up first, and the researchers in their section followed.
Rowan gripped his collar tightly and swallowed, feeling as if a Pikachu were releasing electricity inside him.
The other researchers were also nervous, their hands and feet slightly unsteady, but they still followed Shiro to the front and walked up onto the stage from both sides. At the same time, staff from the Oak Research Institute moved the necessary equipment onto the platform.
Under the bright stage lights, Shiro remained calm. Facing the many professors and researchers before him, he smiled and began speaking.
"Pokémon evolution is a process of gradual growth, a transition toward maturity. There are many factors that influence evolution. Besides the most familiar one, level, there are also item-based evolutions…"
He spoke with ease, as if in his element, confidently addressing a hall full of academic experts.
Seeing this, the team from Rowan Research Institute also found their footing and began carrying out their tasks in an orderly manner.
**
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